U.S., China Try to Clear Way for Afghan Peace Talks With Taliban

The head of the U.S. delegation, Michael McKinley, right, shook hands with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry before the meeting in Kabul on Monday on starting peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

Reuters

U.S., Afghan, Pakistani and Chinese officials met here Monday for a second round of talks aimed at clearing the way for negotiations between the Afghan government and Taliban. As WSJ’s Habib Khan Totakhil and Margherita Stancati report:

The involvement of the U.S., which backs the Afghan government, and China, a close ally of Pakistan, is seen as necessary to build trust between the two neighbors before peace talks can begin.

“With the support of the United States and China, two vital members of the group, we will be able to launch an effective peace process that would generate the results we all seek in a timely manner,” Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani said in opening remarks.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, participants urged the Taliban to quickly enter peace talks to end the 14-year war.

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